Government to resolve South China Sea issue - Hishammuddin

The government will meet Australia’s Defence Minister to resolve any issues involving the South China Sea.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the meeting will involve information sharing as well as ensuring that China keeps its promise to not place its assets at the disputed area.

He said the meeting will also underline strategies to balance and constrain the actions of world powers like China and the United States.

“At the Ministry of Defence, if we receive reports regarding any development works or placement of assets, we will request China to remove it,” he said at a press conference after delivering a keynote speech at a leadership course held at Maktab Turus Angkatan Tentera (MTAT) here, today.

Hishammuddin also said Malaysia will be holding meetings with the leaders of Vietnam and the Phillipines.

He said, this is because Malaysia needs to work together with other ASEAN countries and cannot act on its own on the matter.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had earlier said that the matter has to be resolved in accordance with international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He had also wanted countries in the region to act more as ASEAN internationally, saying that they would be stronger if they remain together, and gaining more respect from the world.

The overlapping territorial claims involves four Asean member states — Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia Vietnam, as well as China and Taiwan.